Edema is an abnormal accumulation of fluid such as blood plasma, interstitial fluid and transcellular fluid, leaked from blood vessels to between cells outside of the blood vessels, in the interstitium, located beneath the skin and in the cavities of the body. The edema of cells and tissues are often caused by acute traumatic brain injury, ischemic attack and the like or chronic fluid increase such as the increase of the synovial membrane due to arthritis, hydrocephalus and glaucoma.
If this edema is not appropriately treated at an early stage, the edema could gradually cause severe damage to cells and tissues.
In order to treat this edema, it has been known to take medicines such as painkillers or use acupuncture, moxibustion, low frequency treatment, pneumatic and hydraulic massage equipment and the like so as to temporarily relieve pain or swelling. However, these methods are not effective, and thus more effective treatment methods are demanded.
For example, a diuretic is generally used in the treatment of edema, wherein the diuretic is used for the purpose of treating the edema by normalizing the extracellular fluid by reducing the renal tubule reabsorption of Na+, Cl− and water so as to increase the discharge of solute and water. However, when the diuretics are taken for a long time, it is likely to cause serious side effects such as dehydration, hypothyroidism, hyperadrenalism, congestive stroke, renal failure and the like. Therefore, the diuretics has been prescribed on a limited basis.
Neuropathy is a general term for describing a disease process that results in a functional disorder of the nervous system. In particular, neuropathy is caused by diabetes, uremia, porphyria, hypoglycemia, vitamin deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency, sepsis, chronic liver disease and the like.
In particular, neuropathy is one of the major complications of diabetes, wherein symptomatic treatment of nerve function or treatment for preventing the gradual decline in nerve function has not been established. Therefore, the loss of sensation associated with the diabetic neuropathy is likely to be proceeded such that even minor infection can be resulted in an ulcer and more seriously the amputation. In addition, damage to the motor nerves is likely to cause the decay and muscle imbalances. However, the pathogenesis mechanisms of neuropathy have not been figured yet.
The above-mentioned diabetic neuropathy is the most common peripheral neuropathy in the western and includes neuropathy of various forms. Current treatment is only able to relieve the pain and control associated symptoms by using a painkiller or certain medicines. However, such a pain therapy using medicines has disadvantages that side effects caused by medicines frequently occur and drug tolerance can be developed due to the long term medication in the case of chronic pain, reaching a state, where the medication is not effective for relieving pain at all.